Tractor



(No Model.)

G. H. EDWARDS. TRACTOR- No. 425,663. Patented Apr. 15, 1890. l

Wave, 7 M/ s/l/fmww UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE EDWVARDS, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

TRACTOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 425,663, dated April 15, 1890. Application filed July 11, 1889. Serial No. 31.7,23. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. EDWARDS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Ohicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Tractors, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to tractors involving an endless slatted belt or track, which is provided along its inner sidewith a folding truss and arranged to pass about a set-of truckwheels, whereof one or more of the wheels are geared to the endless track and one or more of said wheels driven from an engine or other suitable motor, so that during operation the wheels may roll upon an endless track, which,

' by reason of the jointed folding truss, will throughout its lower leaf be rigid as against upward pressure, and hence provide a broad area of bearing-surface, which will lie upon the ground and sustain the weight, which will be distributed throughout said area of the lower leaf.

' The object of my invention is to provide a simple, strong, and economical construction of folding truss for an endless track of the foregoing character; and to such end I so construct the strut-braces that they may also serve as the inner chord-links of the folding truss, as hereinafter more particularly set forth.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents in elevation a couple of wheels geared to an endless slatted track, which is provided with a folding truss embodying my invention. Fig. 2 represents on a somewhat larger scale a couple of the combined strut-braces and chord-links.

One or both of the wheels A are geared to the inner side of the endless track 13, and to such end the slats can be provided with lugs or teeth arranged to engage with notches in the wheels, it being observed that illustration of the teeth is not necessary. Each combined brace and inner chord-link 0 consists of a block or plate 0, which can at its outer end be provided with a ledge or flange 0, whereby said flanges can be bolted to the slats of the endless track. The said flange portions 0 and outer ends of the plates or blocks are suitably adapted for hinging together in endless series, so that by thus hinging them together the slats Will be practically connected together by hinge-joints. Each block or plate 0 has a sliding pivotal connection with the next succeeding block or plate, and to such end the plates are at their inner ends provided with extensions 0 which carry pins or studs 0 and at their middle portions provided with the curved or oblique slots 0 so that the pin 0 of one plate may engage in the slot 0 of the next succeeding plate. The length of the slots determines the extent to which the truss can fold and unfold, it being understood that the curved slots permit such folding and unfolding of the truss. Thus the use of separate inner chord-links is avoided and a simple and economical construction of truss provided.

What I claim as my invention isl. The combination, with an endless track, of an endless folding truss therefor, comprising a set of combined strut-braces and inner chord-links connected together by sliding connections, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with an endless track, of an endless folding truss therefor, comprising the flanged blocks or plates 0, provided with pins 0 and slots 0 substantially as described.

GEORGE H. EDWARDS.

Witnesses:

CHAS. G. PAGE, A. OoArEs. 

